Why is it????????????

[ampguy]

looks like a great photo to me

looks like a great photo to me

I hate cropped photos. The framing has a couple of good lines, the post in the right is parallel to the r edge, and the sidewalk border is parallel to the bottom.

The light on the left gives context to the atmosphere.

Cropped photos are almost as bad as photoshopped photos.

When somebody famous does this, it is wonderful.

William Eggelston.

If an unknown like me or countless others do it, "It's crooked. Straighten up. Crop the left side. The light and S&H sign are distracting."

Why is that?

 

[Peter^]

It was actually Egg who brought me to rangefinder photography.

I wouldn't have taken this picture either. But that is why Egg is Egg and I'm an enthusiastic but derivative dillitante. Egglestone changed the way we take pictures by challenging our expectations and prejudices about what a picture should be. This pictue is a good example: it breaks the rules. And still, somehow, it "works".

 

[shyoon]

I like the colours. Perhaps that's why he took the photo?

 

[Peter^]

I like the colours. Perhaps that's why he took the photo?

This is probably the deepest, most definitive comment in the whole thread. Thanks Shyoon.

 

[Strangeluv]

I hate cropped photos. The framing has a couple of good lines, the post in the right is parallel to the r edge, and the sidewalk border is parallel to the bottom.

The light on the left gives context to the atmosphere.

Cropped photos are almost as bad as photoshopped photos.

This made me laugh!

 

[antiquark]

I like the colours. Perhaps that's why he took the photo?

Yes, from what I've read, Eggleston was really into the colors of a scene.

Also: remember that back when that "Arco" picture was taken, nobody had computers with saturation sliders that could be turned up to 11. Pictures had to be printed chemically. So if you wanted saturation, you had to photograph something which itself had saturation.

The Arco picture has an interesting, vivid color scheme. Sadly, these days, coloration like that is no big deal. Every digital camera can take pictures like that now.

 

[venchka]

Analog to digital photography retains some of that color scheme.

We are having an intelligent, gear free, weekend discussion. I think Mr. Eggelston would be proud. Where is Memphis?

 

[venchka]

Ampguy (Ted?) hates cropped photos. I hate blather like this.

"In 1976, William Eggleston’s hallucinatory, Faulknerian images were featured in the Museum of Modern Art’s first one-man exhibition of color photographs."
Amazon Marketing Blather

William made quite a name for himself in rapid time. 37 and a first at MOMA.

 

[_larky]

Is it wonderful? It's no better just because a famous photographer did it.

It's like the art world, people think because x did it, it's worth something. It's all nonsense. You either like it, or you dont, or you fall into the category of idiot where you believe you like something because you feel you should.

Personally I don't like that photo. And I don't care who made it, I still don't like it.

 

[tlitody]

When somebody famous does this, it is wonderful.

If an unknown like me or countless others do it, "It's crooked. Straighten up. Crop the left side. The light and S&H sign are distracting."

Why is that?

Emporers new clothes.

 

[Spyro]

Personally I don't like that photo. And I don't care who made it, I still don't like it.

Yeah same.
I like most of Eggleston's work though.

Edit: actually scratch that, I love most of his work.

 

[jsrockit]

If an unknown like me or countless others do it, "It's crooked. Straighten up. Crop the left side. The light and S&H sign are distracting."

Why is that?

Because you are asking the wrong people. Trust yourself and those who you trust because they make good photographs. Don't just trust any random fool in a forum. So many people love the cliches and think that those are real photographs. Think for yourself ....Eggleston did.

 

[srtiwari]

When somebody famous does this, it is wonderful.

William Eggelston.

If an unknown like me or countless others do it, "It's crooked. Straighten up. Crop the left side. The light and S&H sign are distracting."

Why is that?

My question is - If no one knew that the Photographer was famous (even just for being famous :bang🙂 would they still like it ??

 

[bwcolor]

I know that he is famous and I don't like it, but then I don't like a lot of things that are accepted as wonderful, especially politicians. Yes, I did use the word 'thing'. I don't understand much of what is foisted as art. On the other hand, I have seen many things on this forum that I really like. I will say that the composition in this photo has all the lines and angles and the whole perspective pull your eye to the colorful building. Perhaps this makes for a great shot.

 

[ndnik]

It has been mentioned, but is being given less attention than it deserves: context. By taking this photo out of context and showing it as a single image, it may not appear as strong as it did when viewed in the original context and among the other images that make up this particular body of work. Context includes the times the photo was taken in and the predominant ideas in photography at that time.

Besides atmosphere, what makes this photo work in my opinion is a certain
ambiguity about what you see: at first it appears tilted, but then you realize that maybe it is the structures that are tilted w.r.t. to each other. The light could be partly artificial (neon signs) or just past sunset. There is something strangely deserted about that place, but the house in the background reminds you it is just normal suburbia.

Making the mundane look special, at its best. In this context the image is as strong as any Eggleston image.

 

[daninjc]

The point is that this picture is part of a body of work, and is better evaluated as such. Even for artists like Eggleston not every single photography he chose to show is mind-blowing - but the ensemble of them yes, it is.

My question is - If no one knew that the Photographer was famous (even just for being famous :bang🙂 would they still like it ??

 

[daveleo]

I fixed it . . . NOW it's "art" . .

I fixed it . . . NOW it's "art" . .

hope you folks have a sense of humor 😀


actually, i am back editing my text here, not to be so ambiguous . . . i agree with the cynical remarks about the posted photo . . . some people accept it as "beautiful" because what's his name created it, and someone spent $10,000 to buy it, so it must be "beautiful".

my personal opinion is that this photo is so bad it is not salvageable . . i (an many many others) have thrown away better images than this . . . but, when i am famous, i will regret having done that 😀

 

[bizarrius]

well, if common sense won't say that you are an artist then you can't present your art and say its art. its like we are all waiting for our crowning, after that, everything we show is art 😀 people buy what you feed them.

btw, in your signature, its not your mom who said that, its Thumper from Bambi who said that 😀

 

[bwcolor]

Because you are asking the wrong people. Trust yourself and those who you trust because they make good photographs. Don't just trust any random fool in a forum. So many people love the cliches and think that those are real photographs. Think for yourself ....Eggleston did.

I think that anyone has the right to like or dislike a piece of art and one opinion is as valid as the next. This idea of the anointed is just rubbish. On the other hand, if you are saying that a person should ask opinions of those that they respect... I fully agree with this and apply this to asking opinions with regards to many topics. Just another 'random fool' here.

 

[d_ross]

Only a fool dismisses that which he doesn't understand!